President Abraham Lincoln noted that government is to be “of the people, by the people and for the people.”

Legitimacy comes from the consent of the governed. Voting is a strong way people have to express their will and consent.

Character does matter. What most every voter wants in a candidate is honesty, diligence, truthfulness and integrity. A society is only as good as its people.

If voters do not care about the character of a candidate or if they waltz along with popular trends, should they be surprised by the resulting difficulties?

It’s important that all people vote. In my opinion, it’s especially important that people of faith vote.

When they adhere to the moral teachings of their faith, people of belief bring an invaluable voice to the public vote. Christian churches, for example, were used as meeting places before the Revolutionary War to discuss liberty and justice.

As the colonialists discussed oppression under King George of England, they made major decisions. Later in the 1860s it was the church that voted to end slavery when people of faith in the North elected Abraham Lincoln as president.

People-of-faith voters contribute much because they learn of real moral values that apply to all people. The Bible, for example, states that God created the world and all humans.

This means we are all equal before God. This is the foundation of our nation being “dedicated to the proposition that all people are created equal.”

Also in the New Testament, it is proclaimed repeatedly that Christ died for the sins of all. This is the basis for hope through faith.

We may have a new start personally and a better future nationally with God’s help. Understanding can guide insightful voting.

People of faith make for important voters because they learn of godly vision. In the Bible, for example, we read that God does not look at a person’s appearances but on their heart. One person of faith, Martin Luther King Jr., proclaimed that godly vision when he said his dream is that one day a person “will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Such a vision is an important word to our society.

Moreover, people of faith have a huge contribution to make as voters because they learn that God is true and just. The prophet Isaiah quotes God, “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.”

People of faith know they are to be mindful of the needs of the vulnerable and defenseless, such as the poor, the homeless, the unborn and the elderly.

The vote of people of faith can be a voice of conscience to our society.

People of faith learn other things, like of God’s love and truth. People of faith can bring a needed depth and compassion to an increasingly secular society which may misunderstand or even dismiss Heaven’s dimension on life.

Yes, it’s important for you to vote. And if you’re a person of faith, don’t underestimate the contribution to our society that your vote and your voice makes.

Dwight Sullivan is pastor of Whittier Evangelical United Methodist Church.